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While shopping for bath tissue at the store today I saw Seventh Generation brand with this information on the label:

Seventh Generation 100% recycled bath tissue minimum 50% post-consumer recycled paper

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How can both of these things be true?

Ultimately I went with a cheaper brand that had only one fact on the label -- 90% post-consumer recycled paper.

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    Fun fact: There are usually limits to how much of a product contains post-consumer materials for materials like paper because paper degrades over multiple recycling processes, unlike say, glass or aluminum.
    – Greg
    Commented Nov 21, 2018 at 11:39
  • Not just the product itself, but similar label can be found on packaging box like "The Arm & Hammer Pure Baking Soda" had: Box made from 100% recycled paperboard, minimum 35% post-consumer content.
    – user4844
    Commented Dec 17, 2018 at 16:04

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The other 50% is recovered process waste - material that has been processed and recycled before it was ever sold to the consumer. It’s all recycled, but originates from different phases of the product lifecycle.

Further reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-consumer_recycling

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